Apparatus and method for providing foods in adjacent portable containers

ABSTRACT

The invention described herein is generally directed to a snack or dip or food holder assembly that can attach to bowls, dishes, plates, trays and the like. Specifically, a snack or dip holder is provided that can be removeably attached to a bowl or plate edge.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY TO FILED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/832, 273, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,827,104 which claims priority toU.S. Provisional Application No. 61/637,710, filed Apr. 24, 2012, thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION AND BACKGROUND

The invention relates generally to a holding system for convenientlyholding chip dips and snacks in bowls.

There are a number of solutions for holding snacks or chips and dip.Some of these solutions attempt to have a saucer that is physically andpermanently attached to a bowl, but these solutions fail to meet theneeds of the industry because the saucer is unable to detach from thebowl making it difficult to wash and store once the user is finishedusing it.

It would be advantageous to have an assembly that is designed to be usedto hold and carry around snacks and dip. It would also be advantageousto have a saucer that is not permanently attached to a bowl.

SUMMARY

In one example embodiment, a food/dip holder assembly comprises acontainer member having an interior surface and an exterior surfaceforming a wall, the interior surface and the exterior surfaceterminating at a lip portion. Further included is a clamping meansadapted to be operatively coupled to the container member in a manner toprovide the food/dip holder assembly with a means of being removablyattached to a serving member.

In another example embodiment, a food/dip holder assembly comprises aserving member configured to support food thereon, the serving memberhaving a lateral edge. Further included is an attachment means adaptedto be operatively coupled to the serving member in a manner to providethe food/dip holder assembly with a means of being removably attached toa second serving member.

In yet another example embodiment, a kit for serving various foods invarious serving dishes comprises a serving member having an attachmentmeans operatively coupled thereto, wherein the attachment means isconfigured to removably attach the serving member to a second servingmember. In a related embodiment, the kit includes multiple servingmembers with attachment means that are configured to fit with each otherfor ease of storage and portability. Additionally, the kit includesattachment means that is comprised of a lateral or sideways clamping orclip device configured to removably attach the serving member to an edgeof the second serving member.

The invention advantageously fills the aforementioned deficiencies byproviding a saucer or container that can attach to a bowl or plate whichprovides a space saving means of holding chips, dip or snacks. The foodholder assembly also prevents chips and the like from becoming soggy dueto inadvertently coming into contact with a dip or sauce that wouldotherwise be located in the same receptacle or container or plate.

Among other things, it is advantageous to provide a removably attachabledip and snack holder assembly for plates or trays that do not sufferfrom any of the problems or deficiencies associated with priorsolutions.

The invention now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, which are intended to be read inconjunction with both this summary, the detailed description and anypreferred and/or particular embodiments specifically discussed orotherwise disclosed. This invention may, however, be embodied in manydifferent forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided byway of illustration only and so that this disclosure will be thorough,complete and will fully convey the full scope of the invention to thoseskilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a saucer attached to a bowl accordingto the teachings herein.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the saucer.

FIG. 3 shows a side elevation view of the saucer.

FIG. 4 shows a view of multiple saucers according to the teachingsherein.

FIG. 5 shows a top elevation view of the saucer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Following below are more detailed descriptions of various relatedconcepts related to, and embodiments of, systems, assemblies and methodsfor serving and porting snacks, sauces and other foods. It should beappreciated that various aspects of the subject matter introduced abovean discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in any ofnumerous ways, as the subject matter is not limited to any particularmanner of implementation. Examples of specific implementations andapplications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes. Oneexample embodiment of a snack holding and porting assembly is generallydirected to a snack or dip holder that attaches to bowls, dishes,plates, trays and the like. Specifically, a snack or dip holder assemblyand container that is removably attached to a bowl or other containeredge. In a related embodiment, an attachment means for a food holderassembly is provided that includes a lateral clip or clamp so as to“clip” the food holder sideways or laterally to a plate or tray.

Referring now to the figures, wherein like reference numerals designateidentical or corresponding parts through several views, an exampleembodiment is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of a container and food holdingsystem 100 having a bowl 102 and a food/dip holder assembly 103 thatgenerally includes a container 104 and a clamp device 106. Container 104is typically comprised of a wall 108 and a base 110 having an interiorsurface 108A and an exterior surface 108B. Interior surface 108A andexterior surface 108B terminate at a lip 108C which forms a top edgeportion of food holder assembly 103. In related embodiments, claim 106includes a hook, hanger or other means for attaching container 104 toanother container (such as bowl 102).

In this example embodiment, wall 108 and base 110 are generallycomprised of a uniform material throughout a substantial portion of thetwo components. Similarly, wall 108 and base 110 may be a continuoussingle molded material. Container 104 may be formed from a number ofmaterials well known by those skilled in the art, such as plastic,glass, ceramic, metal or even paper products. In a related embodiment,container 104 is made from a wax-coated cardboard so as to generate acollapsible and potentially disposable container that can clamp or hangonto another container. In a preferred embodiment, container 104 is madefrom a nonpermeable synthetic material such as rubber. Other materialssuch as polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride(PVC) and silicone are also within in the scope of the invention.

In yet another related embodiment, a material can be used that is rigidenough to withstand the weight of dips and sauces when being clamped to(or hung onto) a bowl or other shaped container, but that is alsopliable enough to allow for easy attachment and removal. Additionally, amaterial that is microwave and/or dishwasher “safe” is also preferable.Although, not wanting to be bound by a particular structure or shape orconfiguration, base 110 may also include an additional layer on theexternal bottom portion to provide a skid-resistant surface and/or ameans of handling food or dip holder 103 after being exposed to aheating means, such as a microwave oven. In a related embodiment, theexternal bottom portion of base 110 is pre-formed with a corrugatedsurface to make it skid or slip resistant. In yet another relatedembodiment, the inside surface of clamp 106 is also made to be slipresistant to ensure a better grip to the other container.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown external surface 108Bhaving a substantially vertical orientation and provides the externalshape of food or dip holder 103. In one example embodiment, a portion ofthe dip or food holder 103 wall 108 and base 100 terminate in agenerally rounded manner. Wall 108 may also include a clamp 106 toattach dip holder 103 to a kitchen item, such as a bowl, dish or thelike. In a related embodiment, wall 108 is also curved. The curve may bea concave shape 112 on at least one portion of wall 108, with an opposedportion of wall 108 having a convex shape 114, as depicted in FIG. 3. Inan alternative embodiment, the opposing wall portions may be similarlyshaped with either a convex or a concave orientation (not shown),depending on the style and design desired by the manufacturer and thechip/snack container it will be attached to.

In this example embodiment, clamp 106 generally comprises a top portion120 and an attachment portion 122. The top portion of clamp 106 isgenerally elevated from the top horizontal plane of lip 108C. However,top portion 120 may also be in a plane equal to that of the horizontalplane of lip 108C. In another related embodiment, top portion 120 may bebelow the horizontal plane of lip 108C. In a related embodiment, clamp106 is configured as a sideways clip or clamp that grabs or fits on theedge of a plate or tray instead of a bowl or container.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, clamp 106 may be generally concave inshape to conform to a bowl, such as phantom bowl 102. Although the arcangle of clamp 106 may vary, the arc angle should be such as to allowdip holder 103 the ability to conform to the lip surface of a bowl toallow dip holder 103 to easily attach thereto. Similarly, the arc lengthof clamp 106 may also vary in lengths from about 1 inch to about 10inches. In another related embodiment, the arc length of clamp 106 isabout 2 inch to about 8 inches.

In another related embodiment, the arc length of clamp 106 is about 3inch to about 7 inches. In yet another related embodiment, the arclength of clamp 106 is about 4 inch to about 6 inches. In anotherrelated embodiment, the arc length of clamp 106 is about 5 inches.

In other related embodiments, dip holder 103 may also include at leasttwo clamps. When the at least two clamp configuration is utilized (notshown) clamps may be similarly sized or may vary in size to accommodatea particular design or functional feature desired.

In various embodiments, clamp 106 may be formed through several means ofmanufacture known in the art. In at least one example embodiment, clamp106 is formed from a single molded product along with wall 108 and base110. Similar to wall 108 and base 110 described above, clamp 106 andcontainer 104 may be a continuous single molded material. Clamp 106 maybe formed from a number of materials well known by those skilled in theart. In a preferred embodiment, clamp 106 is made from a nonpermeablesynthetic material such as rubber. Other materials such as polyurethane,polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride (PVC) and silicone arealso within in the scope of the present invention.

In another related method of manufacture, the clamp or holding orattachment means is separately formed and combined with wall 108 in asubsequent manufacturing process. Although the combination of parts aregenerally known, it should be appreciated that the attachment means ofclamp 106 and wall 108 must be a means that can tolerate heating andcooling without substantial degradation or deformation. Additionally, itshould be stated, that although adhesive and chemical welding techniquescan be utilized, the fastening means should be non-toxic as the dip/foodholder is meant to hold substances that are intended for consumption. Ifthe container is metal, clamp 106 can be magnetic so that it attaches tothe container.

Referring now to FIG. 3, clamp 106 is shown with attachment portion 122which is integrally related to top portion 120. Top portion 120 isgenerally farther from the exterior surface 108B than the terminal end124 of attachment portion 122. This feature allows for clamp 106 tosecurely bind dip holder 103 to a bowl without excess sliding.Attachment portion 122 also may be rigid enough to securely fasten theinternal wall 126 of attachment portion 122 to a bowl (such as bond 102)to prevent large amounts of food substrates from getting lodged betweenclamp 106 and bowl (such as bond 102) when dip holder 103 is in use.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown multiple containers or holders103A and 103B adapted to be attached to a bowl 102. In a relatedembodiment, multiple trays with side clamps can also be used to attachto other trays or plates.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a top view of dip holder 103, is shown in agenerally kidney bean shape. Although no one particular shape ispreferred, the shape of the wall and the clamp must be able to securelyfasten dip holder 103 to a bowl 102 or dish when in use. Furthermore,the number of clamps and length of the clamp's arc length will befactors in determining a suitable shape for dip holder 103.

The foregoing description is presented to enable one of ordinary skillin the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the contextof a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications tothe preferred embodiment of the apparatus, and the general principlesand features of the apparatus and methods described herein will bereadily apparent to those of skill in the art. Thus, the invention isnot to be limited to the embodiments of the apparatus and methodsdescribed above and illustrated in the drawing figures, but is to beaccorded the widest scope consistent with the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

I claim:
 1. A food/dip holder assembly comprising: a container memberhaving a interior surface and an exterior surface forming a wall, theinterior surface and the exterior surface terminating at a lip portion;and a clamping means adapted to be cooperatively coupled to thecontainer member in a manner to provide the food/dip holder assemblywith a means of being removably attached to a serving apparatus, whereinat least a portion of the clamping means is pliable and connected to theserving apparatus.
 2. The food/dip holder of claim 1 wherein theclamping means and the container member are formed as a single moldedproduct.
 3. The food/dip holder of claim 2 wherein the single moldedproduct is made of a material selected from a group consisting ofrubber, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride(PVC) and silicone.
 4. The food/dip holder of claim 1 wherein thefood/dip holder is made of a material selected from a group consistingof rubber, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride(PVC) and silicone, metal, ceramic, glass and reinforced cardboard. 5.The food/dip holder of claim 1 wherein the clamping means is adapted tobe coupled to at least a portion of the lip portion.
 6. The food/dipholder of claim 1 wherein the clamping means is comprised of one or moreclamps disposed on a side of the container member.
 7. The food/dipholder of claim 1 wherein the clamping means is selected from the groupconsisting of a clamp, a clip, a hanger, a curve wire, a fastener and ahook.
 8. The food/dip holder of claim 1 wherein the clamping means iscoupled to the container member by a mechanism selected from groupconsisting of adhesives, chemical welding, mechanical fasteners, tongueand groove attachment, and dovetail attachment.
 9. The food/dip holderof claim 1 wherein the shape of the lip portion is selected from a groupconsisting of kidney bean, circular, square, triangular, trapezoidal,ovals and rectangular.
 10. The food/dip holder of claim 1 furthercomprising a base, wherein the base comprises an external layer ofskid-resistant material.
 11. The food/dip holder of claim 1 wherein theclamping means has a lateral or sideways clamping or clip deviceconfigured to removably attach the container member to an edge of theserving apparatus.
 12. A food/dip holder assembly comprising: a servingapparatus configured to support food thereon, the serving apparatushaving a lateral edge; and an attachment means adapted to be operativelycoupled to the serving apparatus in a manner to provide the food/dipholder assembly with a means of being removably attached to a secondserving apparatus.
 13. The food/dip holder of claim 12 wherein a portionof the second serving member is pliable.
 14. The food/dip holder ofclaim 13 wherein the second serving member is made of a materialselected from a group consisting of rubber, polyurethane, polyethylene,polypropylene, polyvinylchloride (PVC) and silicone, metal, ceramic,glass and reinforced cardboard.
 15. A food/dip holder assemblycomprising: a container member having an interior surface and anexterior surface forming a wall, the interior surface and the exteriorsurface terminating at a lip portion; and a clamping means adapted to becooperatively coupled to the container member in a manner to provide thefood/dip holder assembly with a means of being removably attached to aserving apparatus, wherein at least a portion of the serving apparatusis pliable.
 16. The food/dip holder of claim 15 wherein the clampingmeans and the container member are formed as a single molded product.17. The food/dip holder of claim 15 wherein the serving apparatus ismade of a material selected from a group consisting of rubber,polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride (PVC) andsilicone.
 18. A method of using a food holder assembly comprising:attaching a clamping means to a serving apparatus, wherein the clampingmeans is adapted to be cooperatively coupled to a container member in amanner to provide the food holder assembly with a means of beingremovably attached to the serving apparatus, wherein the containermember has an interior surface and an exterior surface forming a wall,the interior surface and the exterior surface terminating at a lipportion and wherein at least a portion of the clamping means isconnected to the serving apparatus.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein aportion of the clamping means, the serving apparatus or the container ispliable.
 20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step offilling a portion of the serving apparatus with a foodstuff.